Shrieking in Slate

[Durando]

Hey. WTF. Here's a Slate headline that promises to be followed up by an in-depth view of fencing shoe tech.

Why do fencers shriek?

Kind of scary to see this talked about out loud in the nonfencing culture.

Oh. Remember. "'Shriek" is the way the world sees it.

[Peach]

And it was apparently Dave Micahnik who provided the explanation (tradition, he says).

[sabreur]

Waiting for Inq.......

Who only screams on the forums.

[Grimaldi]

My kids recently started fencing, and my wife decided to watch a lot of the Olympic fencing to kind of understand what the sport is about. While she enjoyed the sport itself (and continued to follow it), she always mentioned the screaming. Comments ranged from "it seems childish" and "it's annoying" to "she doubled over, pumping both fists, and let out a primal scream that seemed to channel all the trauma and angst since her childhood".

I don't think most people mind it occasionally...there is a lot of stress and tension in the sport...but many, many fencers seem to take it over the top.

[CadetVet]

Hey. WTF. Here's a Slate headline that promises to be followed up by an in-depth view of fencing shoe tech.

Why do fencers shriek?

Kind of scary to see this talked about out loud in the nonfencing culture.

Oh. Remember. "'Shriek" is the way the world sees it.

For me (a Vet 50 Foil Fencer) the answer is far simpler - lunging HURTS!

[Redblade]

Waiting for Inq.......

Who only screams on the forums.

That's shriek in the forums.

[Guymelef]

Hey. WTF. Here's a Slate headline that promises to be followed up by an in-depth view of fencing shoe tech.

New from Adidas Fencing: The Banshee

[UlrikeDG]

My kids recently started fencing, and my wife decided to watch a lot of the Olympic fencing to kind of understand what the sport is about. While she enjoyed the sport itself (and continued to follow it), she always mentioned the screaming.

Who me?

As I sit here watching the Women's Team Sabre, there's a Ukrainian fencer who insists on clutching both fists to her stomach, doubling over and screaming in a way that makes one expect blood on the floor. Which at this point, I'm surprised the blood isn't running out the judge's ears.

Honestly, though, it's not the shrieking so much as the affectation. If it were a simple excited "yeah!" that lasts half a second, I'd understand. Instead, there's this horrible "routine" they go through. Step one: face judge. Step two: hold clenched fist awkwardly in front of face; bonus points for clenching both fists. Step three: double over as if experiencing stomach cramps or suddenly overcome by diarrhea. Step four: scream like a frustrated toddler or a wound up tomcat; scream should last a minimum of 3 seconds or you're not really trying.

[Applesauce and Foils]

I am so irratated with the screaming. And it goes beyond annoyance, since we all know it's partly, kinda-sorta to influence the director's decision. Can these top-level fencers not respect their director enough to let him decide whose point it was? Do they think he hasn't been training/watching some bouts for a while. Or if they do- why not just let him do his job? I just feel that this is a cheap way to get a point.
I agree with the previous post about it being affected.
I have NO problem with screaming to relieve anxiety or pump themselves up. Or celebrating a touch. But it's annoying to see them "sell" their touch. I don't think it's very professional or sportsmanlike and it makes me almost as ashamed as the half-hearted, sloppy salutes and handshakes I'm seeing.
AF

[Applesauce and Foils]

wasn't trying to put in a happy face at the end of that. Maybe this will work

[kuroutesshin]

I am so irratated with the screaming. And it goes beyond annoyance, since we all know it's partly, kinda-sorta to influence the director's decision. Can these top-level fencers not respect their director enough to let him decide whose point it was? Do they think he hasn't been training/watching some bouts for a while. Or if they do- why not just let him do his job? I just feel that this is a cheap way to get a point.
I agree with the previous post about it being affected.
I have NO problem with screaming to relieve anxiety or pump themselves up. Or celebrating a touch. But it's annoying to see them "sell" their touch. I don't think it's very professional or sportsmanlike and it makes me almost as ashamed as the half-hearted, sloppy salutes and handshakes I'm seeing.
AF

This.

When I lose (and it's more often than I'd like), I will shake my opponents hand with a smile on my face, even if I despise them. I fenced one of my clubmates in sabre last year, she fences sabre exclusively and I was filling in the sixth man for an E1.

I beat her silly. She was so angry, I came up to shake her hand and she barely gripped it before she spun around and stalked off to the end of the strip to unhook.

It made me more angry than anything. Yes, she lost. Yes, she lost to someone who doesn't fence sabre regularly. But that is absolutely no excuse to be rude and unsportsmanlike.

[telkanuru]

I was filling in the sixth man for an E1.

Not the example I would have gone with.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

It made me more angry than anything. Yes, she lost. Yes, she lost to someone who doesn't fence sabre regularly. But that is absolutely no excuse to be rude and unsportsmanlike.

I really enjoy fencing those people.


You really just can't allow yourself to be offended. What did they do? They were a bit awkward when shaking your hand. A little immature, maybe, a little rude, maybe. They didn't kick your puppy, they didn't bomb a third world country. They were upset. And you're allowing yourself to be manipulated by them into also being upset.

[Inquartata]

At least it didn't say "it's to influence the referee". SOMEone has an iota of discretion, apparently.

Meanwhile, I now nominate Olena Khomrova for the post of Melodrama Queen previously held by Yelena Jemaeva. Turn around, hold your arms stiffly out behind you like wings, bend over, stomp and shriek. It's a signature move, I tell you. ( She still has a way to go to catch Jemaeva, but she's young, I have faith in her, she can do it! )

[kuroutesshin]

Not the example I would have gone with.

I'm not an competitive sabre fencer, so it's the only example I had to work with. It raises another point, that people can be arrogant and petulant regardless of skill level.

I really enjoy fencing those people.


You really just can't allow yourself to be offended. What did they do? They were a bit awkward when shaking your hand. A little immature, maybe, a little rude, maybe. They didn't kick your puppy, they didn't bomb a third world country. They were upset. And you're allowing yourself to be manipulated by them into also being upset.

I actually wasn't upset at all, when I turned around to unhook I had a huge grin on my face because I had made her so angry and she couldn't figure out why she wasn't winning. I make no claims to my ability with a sabre, and I wasn't happy about making a teammate angry.

But the issue wasn't with me. It was with her; completely incredulous and enraged at having been defeated by an epee fencer, and her showing it with a limpid handshake and stomping back down the strip.

EDIT: clarification, the grin was for her unconcealed anger, not the "making a fool out of her" part.

[Applesauce and Foils]

Ha-haha! Good for you! Glad someone else feels the same way. Did anyone else notice that when France came on they didn't do all that screaming and stomping around. I did. I was so proud of them. Their form was so much better, too. I was glad to see somebody cares about that still.

AF

[telkanuru]

I'm not an competitive sabre fencer, so it's the only example I had to work with. It raises another point, that people can be arrogant and petulant regardless of skill level.

Correction- people can understand where they are in the grand scheme of things regardless of skill level. If you stopped for a second you would realize it's not a good example of anything.

In other words, it doesn't matter so why do you even care?


Oh, and if I notice that me being a jerk pisses you off on strip, I will absolutely do it more. Why? Because it causes you to lose focus. The entire game doesn't involve only the blade.

[Inquartata]

Oh, and if I notice that me being a jerk pisses you off on strip, I will absolutely do it more.

"More"?

Does this mean that it's your customary idiom, and varies only in degree?

[KD5MDK]

How many of his posts have you read so far?

[Inquartata]

I offer myself as a shining example of the difference possible between posting behavior and behavior on the strip...